Ranma the Avatar.
Chapter 2
100 years later...
A small boat rocked and rolled with the waves in the ocean as a brown haired woman in her early 20's helped a smaller black haired boy. The girl's blue eyes were narrowed in concentration and the boy seemed to be delighted by the shaking and rocking the boat was doing.
"Hey hey Sakura! Hold it steady!" The raven haired youth yelled, taking a net and aiming it overboard.
The woman identified as Sakura concentrated more and the boat stopped rocking even as the waves increased in ferocity elsewhere.
"Nico! Are you sure this is where you saw the fish?" She yelled, sweat rolling down her brow. And eyes shut.
The boy Nico nodded absently even tho his companion couldn't see it. He jumped up suddenly as something appeared underneath him. "There There!" Raising his hand suddenly he was rewarded with a swarm of fish exploding violently from the water. Holding out his net he smiled showing a missing tooth and fang hanging down.
Sakura opened her eyes and breathed a sigh at the huge catch then suddenly the water became instantly turbulent.
"SAKURA!" Nico yelled frantically securing the fish and tying them down across the deck.
Sakura closed her eyes and held her hands out the waves subsided again but she frowned as she felt something heavy in the water.
"Nico I think we stumbled on a whalecow." Nico frowned himself and held out his own hands. He shook his head. "I don't think so. Whatever It is it isn't moving. It feels like a rock or something."
Pushing his hands upwards and stomping his feet he rose a giant form from the water. Stepping back he and the woman looked on at a giant glacier and what seemed to be a boy inside.
Nico looked on his face brightening in a wide toothy smile. " Can you melt it?" He asked excitedly.
Sakura looked on suspiciously. "I can try." Pushing one hand forward she shot it down violently melting most of the ice and unceremoniously dropping the youth in the ice to the floor with a thud as a bag fell as well.
Nico and Sakura looked at the Pigtailed raven haired man and then at each other. Noticing his soft breathing.
Ranma awoke to a small fire. He had the mother of all headaches. He opened his mouth as delicious tasting soup was shoved in forcefully. He snapped open his eyes biting of a curse as the sunlight hit his light sensitive eyes.
"Wake up!" Someone snapped harshly at him.
He focused on the voice his eyes blurry at first but as his mind cleared he could start to sense the ambient ki around him. And he tasted power. Lots of it surrounding him. Biting off another curse as he realized that he somehow ended up in a village full of powerful people yet again, he hoped he would be able to talk his way out as his body felt like jelly and he only felt about a fourth of his ki.
Grimacing he closed his eyes willing a bit of ki into them to see better. Opening them once more treated him to the site of a room full of disheveled people most with swords a few with really sloppy martial arts stances and a majority of them with guns.
But it confused him as a lot of them had power that rivaled Akane with the battle dogi a couple of years ago.
"What's going on?" He mumbled.
"Speak when spoken to!" A woman's voice rang out. Her voice was the one who spoke rudely to him initially he mused.
A older woman who's power level reminded him of mousse's approached him wearily her brown hair showed signs of graying and she looked tired. But she held a serious no nonsense look about her.
Ranma sighed normally he'd be more than a match for any of these people. But he needed to rest for at least a few more hours.
The woman narrowed her eyes and lifted his bangs exposing his forehead. She traced a finger over the blue arrow that existed there.
"An Airbender." She murmured. Face righting into a frown. Her eyes connected with him and he held back a flinch. The anger held in those eyes hurt to look at. Betrayal and hurt and a lot of anger.
"Where did you get this tattoo? " She demanded stepping back and drawing a pistol that had been previously hidden.
Ranma narrowed his eyes. Did he awake in a war or something? " My teacher gave it to me."
"Lies!" Someone yelled from the back.
"Deceit." Someone also yelled.
Ranma looked around as several people seemed to mutter similar words and held his tongue. Something wasn't right. Did they know him? His musing's were cut short when the brunette chambered the bullet the sound automatically silencing the crowd and attracting his attention immediately.
"
I'll ask again boy." She sneered holding the gun to his head. And Ranma got the impression that she was going to kill him if he didn't play ball.
"Where did you get that tattoo?"
Ranma frowned his eyes flashed dangerously. "I am an Airbender, I attained this tattoo after mastering fifty different Airbending techniques." He said with such conviction that any who had a doubt in their mind changed tunes instantly.
"Impossible!" The woman breathed. " Most Airbenders were wiped out. The few that live are working for the king. And none have blue eyes." She studied him. And if possible seemed to get more angry.
"It can't be." She muttered eyes widening at some sort of conclusion. She quickly drew another gun and aimed it at Ranma's head. The pigtailed martial artist's eyes narrowed a bit. Unbeknownst to him his eyes glowed for a brief moment causing Myra to gasp.
Taking her gun she shot it several times in the ground in front of Ranma leaving small craters.
"Myra! What is it?" A man said having never seen her so furious.
The woman collapsed to her knees tears slowly flowing down from her face.
"H-he's the Avatar." She said simply. Causing many in the room to either drop their gun in shock or scrunch their face in fury.
Ranma looked around at the different emotions on each persons face. Anger, Fear, Hate, and hope.
"His stomach growled and he looked at the woman named Myra. "Um, excuse me. But can I have something to eat and more importantly.. Someone tell me whats going on?"
Ranma frowned as he stared across the small town. He first thought it was a village and then he realized it was what was left of Seattle. Having been to the U.S. Several times for training Ranma had seen postcards of the city of Seattle. But looking at the clear blue sky was a sharp contrast to the small island town that sat in front of him. Buildings decimated and homes burned and shattered.
Even the people around him reflected what seemed to be the what was probably the state of the rest of the world, but of course somehow he wound up in a village full of benders and warriors.
This King he heard of apparently was Saffron. The Phoenix King. Saffron Killed off the Joketsuzoku and wiped out Japan and used Herb to wipe out all high level martial artists and benders. Then they turned to the governments and wiped them out. America saw the threat and shot nukes with Russia and Europe to destroy the King but saffron destroyed the nukes and absorbed their power and radiation and took it as his own. Becoming more powerful he destroyed most of America and wiped out half of the world destroying seas and putting the continents close to each other like Pangaea.
Only a handful of benders survived when he found out He began outlawing the practicing of martial arts and bending. And had his Valkyries hunt them down.
Apparently the Avatar who was supposed to fight the two super entities did not show. Or died, which shouldn't have been a problem as a new one would have been born. Hence the reason for all benders and martial artists to be killed. It lessened the chance should an Avatar appear, that he'd have the chance to be more powerful than Saffron.
Ranma wanted to lash out and destroy something but could not. He ran away from his responsibilities and the world paid the price. All because he wanted to be able to live a life with love,
Steeling his resolve he glanced a look behind. Noticing the people milling and staring.
Since hearing about the war and Saffron's forced ascension he now knew why people had been giving him the evil eyes.
He was the reason for their suffering. And in more ways than one. Recalling that he had beaten the Phoenix before. And Saffron may have come directly for him.
Walking out of a small tent he noticed Myra there waiting for him. She motioned to him and started walking. Ranma followed keeping pace.
"In this village we have very little strict rules. But the ones we must follow to survive are thus.." She said pointing to an area where some kids were getting instruction in what looked like ninjitsu.
"We train and spar in the Null field Zone. Any unauthorized fights will result in banishment from the village no exceptions." She stated giving him a hard look. "I don't care if you are the Avatar.
I noticed you don't have a weapon. While using Ki and bending will win most fights. The King's angel scouts patrol the skies waiting for a discharge in Ki. They will snuff out all traces of higher than normal energy." She pointed down making him take note of the spherical violet colored gems that made a circle around the training exercise.
"Those are Materia. And before you ask yes they were named from the game of your time. It was aptly named as each gem has a different ability and are very valuable."
Ranma nodded having seen her guns and the two gems that adorned each of them one green and one purple per gun.
"How did these Materia come to be?" He asked magic of this caliber he would have used to cure his curse a long time ago.
She gave him a wry look. "Jusenkyo."
Ranma stared at her eyes widening.
She started walking. "The first fight in the war was between The Amazons and the Musk. The Musk were almost beaten their King sealed and the prince was occupied. The Amazon maidens who were powerful mages tried to seal the phoenix king in a powerful Magic Circle. But apparently there was a goddess who took offense to all the fighting around her springs." She took a deep breath.
"Her name was Jusenkyo and she was not happy. She unleashed a spell at Saffron almost simultaneously as he was over her own cursed springs. The amazons also had a spell ready and thinking this was a new ally attacked Saffron in tandem. The mixture of the magic and curses caused the waters in the valley of sorrow to boil uncontrollably. Saffron used his Gekkaja to freeze the waters making them crystallize into what we called Magicite. The Magicite ore is more powerful but dangerous as well and a mysterious person destroyed Jusenkyo's frozen pools causing the Magicite to be buried and blasted across the world. No one knows who came up with the idea of using it the way it has been but it's helpful and there were lots of pools in Jusenkyo."
Ranma shuddered. He knew first hand how many pools were in the valley. Each one would have a different power he surmised. But he had played the very popular Final Fantasy 7. He hoped that they didn't have summon Materias.
Myra led him to an open area which had some Null field Materia planted into the ground.
"You can train here. I figure what with being trapped in the Ice your probably a bit stiff." She said while walking away. Stopping a ways in front of him as he called out to her.
"Whats the other strict rules?" He questioned.
She smiled. "There is only one other one we adapted from the amazons. All strong men and women must produce children. This rule is also non-negotiable and followed all around the world." She said as she walked away. She didn't notice Ranma's reaction as his face was beat red and his pigtail standing straight up.
Trying to clear his thoughts and muttering to himself nonsensically he began to warm up.
He did some stretches and snapped a kick. His slight atrophy from before seemed to had fled entirely. Going into a light kata he stopped in mid movement noticing he drew a crowd and several were trying to emulate him.
A stern looking Brunette with a sword strapped to her back stared at him fiercely. When he locked eyes she stared back coolly. Unflinchingly he smirked as if challenging her before a small black haired boy with goggles and a long red scarf rushed him and jumped around him.
"Hey hey!" Your the Avatar huh? What's your name? Shall I call you Avi or just Tar? " The hyper boy jumped back in forth suddenly executing a kick and emulated almost perfectly Ranma's Kata.
Ranma's eyes widened in response to seeing it. And he smiled at the boys exuberance and infectious joy.
"Hi I'm Ranma Saotome whats your name?" He ruffled the kid hair and suddenly held his arm out as his pack slammed into his hand the force of it blowing his pigtail horizontal for a second. Lowering his hand and locking eyes with the blue eyed woman who still was in the throwing stance slowly standing as if to say yeah it was me. She angrily stalked towards him.
Ranma frowned. And was going to say something when the woman held out one finger and pointed to the exit of the town.
"His Name is Nico, and you need to leave. We don't have need for cowards." She hissed with venom on the last part.
Ranma's eyes narrowed dangerously. The wind lightly blowing his Chinese tang. " I'm no coward."
"Sakura don't.." Nico began before Sakura walked into striking range. She lowered herself slightly and withdrew her sword.
Ranma's eyes widened as the blade seemed to sing. Sakura walked a ways away and sliced at a derelict building. Slowly the building seemed to slide on an angle before collapsing into another building.
Ranma whistled as he upped her threat level by a few notches. She turned walking past a growing crowd and stepped into a fighting stance. Sword held out and her body held low for speed.
Ranma smirked his most arrogant smirk and held out one finger.
Sakura snarled." Don't make light of me! I'll cut it straight off!" She yelled a small aura flashing around her before being snuffed out violently. Ranma's eyebrow raised at that. What was she doing?
She growled more as he used the one finger and made a come hither motion. Blasting forward she struck multiple times moving faster than most of the crowds eyes could track Strike after strike blurred and several clangs were heard. Impossibly Ranma's finger seemed more than up to the task of stopping the blade as he blocked each strike without moving his body once. His hand blurring at the same speed Sakura was moving.
Sakura became frustrated with her inability to cut his finger and went for one final strike and Ranma leaned to the side and blocked the blade pushing it down and hovering it above his nose.
The crowd yelled and applauded the show as Ranma sheepishly scratched behind his head just then noticing the crowd.
Neither one noticed that they weren't in the Null Field Zone.
Sakura flushed pink as her namesake and threw her hand straight up and a nearby puddle of water splashed the chuckling Ranma. The Raven haired boy turned into a buxom Red-haired girl.
Everyone stopped and their jaws dropped as Ranma's shirt clung to her body. Ranma sighed tiredly and was about to explain when his danger sense pinged. Pushing Sakura and grabbing Nico Ranma flipped right before two large metal cylinders dropped in the area he was standing moments before.
The crowd started to panic and men and women grabbed their weapons as the gun-metal gray cylinders slammed twice from the inside leaving large fist imprints on the face of the container.
A creaking noise was heard and then fingers were seen as the metal was ripped like tissue paper and two solid looking men appeared both standing over nine feet and covered from head to toes in muscles. They wore loincloths like he'd seen the Musk wear a while back. Above the two a man with four wings floated, he wore a futuristic looking gold armor and matching gold grieves. A large staff secured to his back and a helmet completed his ensemble. He took out a circlet and blew the noise echoed as he finished and sucked in a breath while he held out a rolled parchment.
"You are all in violation of article One A, all martial arts and bending are banned. Anyone found practicing and using such shall be deemed guilty." He intoned and placed the parchment in his belt. Before smiling cruelly. "And the guilty has been judged. Death!" He snarled drawing a gold and black staff and charging straight at Sakura and Ranma. Ranma went to meet the charge before being blasted from his side by another angel like creature. The creatures hands lit up again and he shot a small beam of ki which plowed Ranma through a building the debris from the damage falling and crushing a small child in the process.
"Run it's a messenger!" Someone yelled before a mass panic forced several people indoors while several more started firing weapons at the behemoths. The bullets bounced off harmlessly against the skin of the large men shocking them into standing still. This would be their undoing as one of the large men picked up one of the heavy metal cylinders and launched it at them crushing them in a geyser of blood and gore.
Myra chose that time to run out and see the commotion several men and women flanking her. She took the scene in, in an instant and motioned imperceptibly with her head.
"Take them." The men and women at her side blurred into action a larger man slamming into one the ten feet tall giant monsters with all his strength and flipped him on his back. A smaller woman ran forward jumped and came down hard next to him raising both hands up quickly causing the ground underneath the giant to come up sharply a spike of ground jutted up like a large stalactite and punched through the giant blood splashing several fighters who were currently engaged in battle with the other giant.
Myra ran over to her Sakura while firing from her gun, large booms echoed as the special shells dented the Angels armor.
The Angel cursed and turned to the disturbance swinging his staff in a wide arc wind blasting forward cutting through buildings and people headed straight towards Myra as almost in slow motion..
Sakura cried out in alarm tears spilling from her face." Mother!" She ran as fast as she could behind the wave but it seemed she wouldn't make it.
before being halted by a large solid rock structure being formed in the ground.
Myra's eyes looked to her left to a sweating Nico who's eyes were moist with tears and sweat. His hands were held upwards his knee bent. "Saved you mom.." He whispered before passing out.
"Nico!" Myra yelled running full tilt towards her son.
"Forgot about me?" Yelled a voice viciously behind her. She froze eyes widening and ducked swiftly as her daughter soared above her. Sakura's sword flashed in a dance of steel parrying the gilded staff away. She attacked furiously tears in her eyes and utilizing the fear of losing another parent. Slashing upwards with her bare hands in a knife motion water jutted from the ground quickly like a scythe.
It cut straight upwards stopping the fight between them immediately. A fire hydrant behind the angel slid perpendicular from itself and fell and the angel seemed to slide as well half of its body falling sickeningly to the ground with a loud thump.
Sakura paid no mind to this running to her mother who was cradling Nico in her arms. Myra looked around noticing the other angel blasting people into ashes and laughing madly. She turned and saw the giant being slowly pushed back but for every wound a bender or martial artist inflicted she saw another one die.
"Titan's and Messenger Angels? How? We we're careful we don't fight or raise our ki past normal levels. How did they find us?" She murmured. Placing her son on the ground she fished out some shells from her pouch and started to reload.
"It's my fault." Sakura muttered.
"What?" Myra said. She didn't look up but a tenseness hung over her that Sakura knew she had angered her mother, also she had stopped moving completely.
"I fought that guy." Sakura said shoulders slumped she placed her head down in shame so she didn't see the slap that rocketed to her face sending her sprawling to the ground a red welt appearing.
"How could you be so stupid?" Myra hissed. Her gaze cool as she stared down her daughter. "These people are dying because of your recklessness."
Sakura said nothing even as her mother shouldered her gun and walked off towards the Titan. She stopped and turned her head her cool gaze catching Sakura even over her shoulder.
"These people's blood are on your hands girl."She said and jogged off towards battle once more.
Sakura stayed on the ground searching the dirt tears spilling from her eyes as she glanced over at her exhausted brother. She stood up resolutely. ' That man. The so-called Avatar' she thought furiously.
Wiping a bit of blood from her mouth and spitting it on the ground she stood and gathered herself before once again charging into the battle with the ki firing angel.
In the battle, they were having trouble of their own as the angel seemed impervious to small arms and all the benders were either evacuating, dead, or incapacitated. Added to that was the fact that this angel seemed to launch bus size ki blasts that incinerated anything in the way people buildings the very earth. Those few who were skilled were felled by his blade if they ventured to close.
Sakura frowned and looked at the rubble where Ranma was sent flying previously.
'Guess that Avatar was worthless after all.' She thought contemptuously flinging her hair over her shoulder and Striding away without a second look she summoned her power and felt the water beneath her feet quake at her command.
Swinging her arms in a windmill pattern she focused hard and was rewarded with water bursting from underground following her arm movements. She pirouetted once and thrust her arms forwards palms showing and the water became a wall like form streaking towards the angel who's back was currently showing to her.
She smirked as the water was about to hit the target and cursed and dove to the side as a large yellow beam of ki eradicated the area she was at dispersing her water attack and punching a hole in the ground.
She rolled suddenly and without thinking drew her sword parrying on instinct and letting years of training make her movements precise. She blocked a vicious overhead swing and used it to clear some space between her and the angel.
He smirked evilly. And Stared her down his cold green eyes piercing her and suddenly she couldn't move. She felt her heart clench and she froze.
The angel raised his blade slowly even as shouts for Sakura to move echoed lamely in her ear. She couldn't she didn't understand why but she knew this was the end. She closed her eyes in preparation. And heard a loud thump and a pained grunt. She opened her eyes to see Nico in front of her arms upwards towards the sky hands palms up.
In front of Nico was a large wall of earth. It had launched the Angel into the air and Nico followed his attack by punching at sections of the wall sending it flying up into the air hitting the angel one after the other causing small shock waves of power each time it hit.
Shaken she barely felt someone try to pull her back as she whispered her brothers name.
The angel seemed to have enough punishment as it caught itself in mid air flipped around and began slicing boulders as they neared him rocketing down towards Nico in a flurry of steel.
Sakura tried to get to her brother just noticing her mother was the one pulling her back.
She didn't know Nico, he couldn't keep it up. His bending skills were too weak. She thought gathering herself and breaking away from her mother momentarily she hefted her sword dashing back as the angel broke through several barriers that Nico was hastily erecting.
Even from where she was Sakura knew Two things. One, Nico was tired each wall was thinner than the last. And two, She wouldn't make it in time. She wasn't religious not since the H-Day but she prayed to whoever would answer her to save her brother.
The angel seemed to have a mad glee in his eyes as he bore down on Nico his sword shifting into the staff he bore earlier and he cocked back over his head as Nico ducked fruitlessly shielding himself with his hands.
And a small blue sphere of energy slammed into the angels chest stopping the angel and bringing him up short. It pushed him back suddenly and forced him through a building. Then detonated with such a large force it left a blue dome above it.
Everyone looked around wondering where the attack came from. But Sakura who upon reaching her brother grabbed him in a big hug and cried and looked back to the wreckage as it exploded upwards building shards everywhere and she had to squint to see the pigtailed man from where she was cradling what seemed to be a small child. Held lifeless in his arms. His shirt was a tattered mess and blood dripped from his forehead and arms. But his eyes shocked them all glowing blue to match the blue glow from his arrow on his head. It was intimidating. And to Sakura.. a little bit exciting.
Whispers of the Avatar brought her from her staring and she noticed the angel staggering out of the wall singed chest armor missing and his eye bleeding. His arm also was held limply at his side.
He walked forward once then threw up blood and bile. Looking up his one good eye became insane with promise of pain.
"What..what is this? Avatar? Don't be silly! Legends and myths! You think this boy is the Avatar?" He spat Laughing at the end.
"I'll Crush him then turn this town into dust. Do you hear me? TO DUST!" The angel yelled with as much glee as a kid on Christmas.
He gathered his power into his hands and a beam of energy held into his hand pointing it upwards with two hands he made it expand growing larger and larger till it was at least ten stories high.
"TAKE THIS! HEAVENLY SWORD!" Swinging downwards the crazed Nephalim brought all the energy to bear slicing with incredible velocity his eyes wide and once perfect hair in disarray he gasped suddenly and the energy dissipated. Beneath his arms and standing with his fist engulfed in the angels stomach was Ranma.
"W-Who..? Urk!" The winged man gasped out a small glob of blood dropping from his lips before the rest of the force of the punch propelled him forward to fly through four abandoned buildings.
Ranma's eyes stopped glowing then and he pitched forwards unconscious.
Up above the battle a winged woman smirked and flew off at high speeds without knowing that she in turned was being watched by a woman below.
Ranma groaned and woke up to a warm cloth on his head. He grimaced as he felt a pounding headache and lurched forward ejecting the contents of his stomach into the sea.
'Wait what sea?' He groggily thought as he started to gain more aware of his surroundings. He noticed he was on a small boat. With a medium size cabin and chimney. He spotted Nico chatting up a downcast Sakura.
Upon noticing he was awake Nico smiled and Sakura frowned and sent a cool look his way.
Flinching despite himself he shook off the nausea and staggered forwards using the rail on the ship to steady himself. Nico rushed towards him bouncing around and praising his fighting acumen.
When he finally gathered himself he stared across the vast sea noticing the city moving farther away.
"What's going on? Where are we going?" He inquired scratching his head.
"HERE!" Sakura yelled. Throwing a bundle at him. He caught it reflexively and unrolled it. It was a outfit similar to his usual one.
"You can put it on, now." She muttered staring at him crossly.
It was the first time he noticed he wasn't wearing any pants. Or a shirt for that matter. Hastily getting dressed while blushing he voiced his inquiry again.
"We are going nowhere together. I am going to find my honor and go back to my people. You the so-called Avatar are going to save the world or whatever." She bit off snidely.
Ranma at this point was tired of her attitude and clenched his fist after tying off his strings on his pants.
"Just what is your problem with me? Up to a couple o'hours ago I didn't ta even kno ya." Ranma yelled inches away from her face.
"My problem? MY PROBLEM?" She yelled back in his face. "My problem is some egotistical cave man decided he wanted to run off and leave the world in this shit hole. My problem is that the so-called Avatar who's supposed to be all high and mighty didn't stop my people from dying! My problem is I was just banished from the only home I known due to me getting involved with a sniveling weakling coward, who's a showboating glory hound. If your so skilled finish the fight instead of dragging it on by playing with a person! You cost me everything!" She finished her rant and turned on her heel and slammed the door.
Ranma stood there red faced. Mostly cause a lot of the things she said hit real close to home. But also because he was angry with himself. Neither noticed Nico in the background with a small smile on his face.
In a remote part of china a Women screamed in agony as her wing was seared by a white flame.
"Foolish girl!" Your saying the avatar Is alive and was at your mercy and you came to me without his smoking corpse?
"F-father please!" She cried out begging on her knees one hand reaching forwards towards him.
Saffron the phoenix king stood in the dim light shadows obscuring his features. And reached a hand forwards in return. The woman's eyes lit with joy. Her father had forgiven her. She was proven wrong when suddenly a white ball of fire impacted her second wing burning it and leaving both wings useless.
"You are banished! Walk among the landlings unable to enjoy the majesty of flight." He said while gesturing. "Return only once the Avatar lay dead at your feet. Only then will I remake your wings in the cleansing fire."
Gathering her composure Raiya the youngest of the Kings daughters now scared walked out while all but one of her sisters laughed at her.
At that moment she muttered a curse so vile towards the Avatar. She would take his head and return her honor.